Wide Awake
by HappyLola
Summary: Inspired by Once Upon a Time and Merlin. In a world where magic is banned and those who possess it are punished - there are two who will fight for change. One, a boy who has spent most of his life in the shadow of his brother, and a girl - who has lost all of her memories and identity.
1. Chapter 1: Pinebridge (Prologue)

Anna found it difficult to identify the loud sound next to her. Eventually she opened her eyes. She slammed her hand against the alarm, which immediately stopped. The sound was still ringing in her ears. Anna grumbled, reclined back into the bed and pulled the covers over her head. As the winter mornings grew colder, she found it increasingly difficult to gather the strength to get out of bed. "Anna, wake up. You're going to be late," her mother shouted from the stairs. Anna stretched out, and reluctantly sat up. She propped herself up with pillows, and in an attempt to keep her eyes open she focused on the wall. The wall was light pink, and Anna despised it. Continually she had asked her parents if she could redecorate, but they refused. Anna's mother told her she was being ungrateful, how she herself would have dreamed for a room like this one. This made Anna feel guilty, and so she eventually stopped asking. The whole room was pink, the bed in which she sat was covered with delicate lace pillows and on the bottom was a large hand quilted cover; each square a different shade of pink; fusion to carnation. In the corner of the room stood a doll's house, that was a miniature version of the houses in Pinebridge; the exterior of each house was identical. Anna couldn't remember ever playing with the doll's house, despite her mother insisting that as a child she had to pry her away from it. Inside the house there were three dolls, which had uncanny resemblances to her family; her mother, father and younger brother. There had been a fourth doll, but it had been lost. Anna rolled over, glancing at the alarm clock: 7.03. Her eyes glazed over, as she repeated the numbers in her head.

As she pressed the palms of her hands against the sockets of her eyes, the number continued to echo. 'How?' she thought to herself. Since her earliest memory Anna Smith had woken up at 7.00am, and she had fallen asleep at 10.00pm. This had been the case for all of Pinebridge, it had never changed. In Pinebridge, nothing changed. As Anna approached the kitchen, she could predict the scene that would play out in front of her. At the top of the large dining table her father would be sat down, his newspaper sprawled out in front of him. His glasses would be perched on the top of his nose, and in his hand a large cup of black coffee. His brow would narrow, as he absorbed the morning news. A soft humming would drift from the kitchen, where her mother would be stood cooking breakfast for the family. Around her waist would be a light blue apron, with a spoon in the front pocket. Once again, she was right. As she walked in everything was the same. "Good morning my darling daughter," said her father. Anna took a seat to his left hand side, and reached over to the filtered coffee. "How are you, father?" she asked. "I'm very well, thank you for asking, my dear! Truly, I have the most busy of days ahead. It will take all of my ability to do what I must: for I must prepare the Christmas turkeys!" Anna's father was the village butcher; he and his brother had taken over the business from their father. Anna knew that he wished for her brother to take it over from him in the future, despite him showing now interest in it. The village was self sufficient, there were no imports; everything in Pinebridge was produced by local, family farms.

Anna and her brother began walking to school. The snow crunched beneath boots. They were both wrapped in their winter coats, Anna placed her hands in her pocket as she had forgotten her gloves. They remained silent. Anna and Fred had never been close; he was the golden child of the family. Fred had passed every exam with an A, whereas Anna had been given a B or C. At parents' evenings the teachers would praise the ground Fred walked on, telling their parents he was a real credit to the school. Anna resented him, and despite his effort to talk to her she would shun him.

"Anna" said Fred, "Have you noticed something strange is happening?"

"It is called snow," she replied sarcastically.

"No. Anna, what time did you wake up?"

There was a silence between them. Anna didn't respond, she kept her eyes on the ground. He continued, "I woke up at 7:03. 7:03, Anna."

"Time is changing," she replied. "

What do you think it is?"

"I don't know."

They remained in silence the rest of the way, and never spoke about it again. At lunch Anna sat alone. She preferred it that way. She reached into her bag and pulled out her diary, and began to write in it. Anna knew that she was different from the other children, her brain was wired differently. She was curious about things, while the others were not. Anna often questioned what was beyond the village of Pinebridge, as nobody had ever left it. The town stood alone. It was isolated, surrounded by large hills that protected it from the outside world. However there was a path that went into the hills, but where it went remained a mystery as no villager had ever dared to follow it. When Anna was 13 years old, she made the mistake of asking where it went to. It had been during a history class with Miss Ambrose, who was discussing the origins of the Jones' farm. Anna had raised her hand. "Anna Smith," said Miss Ambrose. "Miss, what is beyond the path? Why has no one walked along it?" "There is nothing beyond the path Anna. Why would you ask such a silly question?" Anna never dared to ask about the path again, she would only think about it and write about it in her diary. She had become accustomed to keeping things to herself. Often on her way home from school Anna would walk into the forest and find the path, but never dared to walk along it.

After the evening meal with her family Anna excused herself, complaining that she had a headache. She spent most of her evenings at home alone in her room, despite her family insisting she joined as they played board games. There would be the odd occasion she joined them, it was usually due to guilt.

Anna sat on her head, her diary placed on her lap as she wrote. She looked up, and thought about what she was going to write next, however her eyes were drawn to the doll's house. Through the window she could see a white piece of paper. Puzzled, she immediately got up from her bed to see what it was. She unclipped the side, and pulled open the front of the house. Inside she found five pieces of paper. They were rolled up, and placed in different rooms. Anna took one of them and unrolled it, it read: I don't belong here. She recognised the writing as her own, but couldn't recall ever writing it, let alone placing it inside the doll's house. Once she had unrolled all of them, she laid them out of the floor. Each of them said: I don't belong here. Anna felt nauseous, her head was spinning. She brought her knees to her chin, and dropped her head. There was a knock at her door. She quickly threw the pieces of paper back into the doll's house, and rushed over to her bed.

"Co-come in," she said. Her mother entered, holding a cup of warm milk. She placed in on the bedside table and sat on the edge of Anna's bed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, raising her hand and placing in on Anna's forehead.

"I'm alright; I think I just need some sleep."

"You know you can talk to me Anna."

"I know."

"We used to be close, but I feel like you've drifted away. When you were little I'd plait your hair, and we'd go shopping together. I jus-."

"I know, I've just got a lot of school work," Anna interrupted.

"I'm sorry sweetie; I guess sometimes I just miss my little girl"

Softly her mother patted Anna's hand, then she mumbled something about having to wash the dishes and left. Anna remained in her bed, staring at the doll's house. There were many things about her childhood she couldn't remember, but she assured herself that was common. It was only when her mother or father told her stories that she begun to remember things, she found it hard to recall things herself. She pulled the cushion closed to her, hugging it tightly. It was 9.50pm, Anna found her eyelids getting heavier, trying to forget the events of the day. At 10pm she drifted off to sleep.

It had been a bitter winter in Pinebridge, and each morning would be greeted with a fresh blanket of snow. The imprints that had been left by the boots of the towns people would be refilled, and the car windows would be frosted. Although the weather provided a lot of problems, it was Anna's favourite time of year. Anna jerked up from her bed, her whole body covered in sweat making her pyjamas stick to her body. Her heart was pounding, she felt as though it was about to burst through her ribs. Taking a few moments, she tried to calm herself down attempting to figure out why she had woken up in this state. She glanced over to her clock: 3.04. Anna got up from her head and walked towards the window, the street lamps were still on. Its yellow light highlighted the falling snow, as it swirled towards the ground. Opening the window she allowed the fresh air to cool her, breathing in the crisp winter night. It was a sign. Anna knew that it was no coincidence that she had woken up in the middle of the night; it was her body telling her she needed to escape. In Pinesbrige everyone slept through the night. They wouldn't awake until their alarms sounded in the morning. There were no instances where a person woke up during the night. There was only place to escape to, she needed to walk the path. Quickly she gathered together some clothes, and supplies from the kitchen. She changed into her winter coats and boots, and pulled the rucksack onto her shoulders. The lock clicked, as she opened the front door. Even though nobody would wake up, she automatically tried to remain quiet. It was as though their whole bodies shut off to the world. Once out of the door she zipped up her coat as high as it would go and rubbed her hands together.

The snow began to fall faster, making it increasing difficult for Anna to see where she was going. She put her arms around herself, feeling her body shiver and quickened her pace. Eventually she reached the gloomy forest, the shadows of the trees danced around in the wind. The leaves had all gone, now replaced by a layer of snow that gently sat on their branches. As she continued to walk the path appeared in the distance, she knew that it wouldn't be long and she could finally escape. She took a step on the path, it was uneven and wound around the trees. The path was a muddy clearing, which looked as though it had been created by humans walking along it. However, she knew that nobody had. It was outlined by pebbles, which were carefully placed next to one another. It had been three minutes since she had begun walking along the path, the snow had subsided. Anna paused, her breathing heavy. She turned around to look at Pinebridge; however her eyes glazed over at what remained. The trees in the forest were flickering before her, as though they were merely a projection. Anna didn't dare walk back, so she ignored it and continued to walk towards the hillside. As she began to climb the hill she decided to take a final look behind her, she began to feel a lump in her throat as she slowly turned her head. It had disappeared. The whole village had gone. All that remained was darkness, as though someone had turned off all of the lights. Anna looked forward towards the hill and began to climb it, her feet carelessly stumbling along. She glanced back once more at what had once been Pinebridge. It was the last time she ever would.


	2. Chapter 2: Winter Solstice

Chapter 2: Winter Solstice

In the centre of the town of Penwortham, the townspeople gathered, ready to immerse themselves in the cheer of the winter festival. Above the road, hung lanterns slowly swing as though they too were joining in with the festivities. The stalls were lined up next to one another, their tables filled with mulled wine and festive treats and even a few of the shops had stayed open late, offering discounts on many of their products. There were crowds all along the street, all attempting to see the wonders that were on offer.

'Oh I do love a good winter's festival', said Argo. An advantage for him was that he towered over everybody at 6'4", giving him the ability of being able to see where he was going. The same was not to be said for his brother Nolan, who cowered behind his brother – attempting to weave between the people. Argo waved to many people, asking them about their lives and wishing them a joyful evening. Nobody acknowledge Nolan. It was something he had come to accept – you aren't noticed when your brother is one of the warriors of the town. It was hard to measure up to him, in both height and career.

There had been a time when Nolan loved the excitement brought by the winter festival – the exotic food, the merriment and the community spirit. A fond memory formed in his head of his father placing him on his shoulders and walking along the stalls with him. However, since the loss of their parents, he had become immune to the joy it seemed to bring to others, and instead he saw it as a painful memory of what had been.

'I think we've done our job, time for a drink', said Argo.

Nolan signed, and mumbled under his breathe. It was hardly a job, Argo was asked to walk along the street and make himself known to the people. He was to be seen, so that the townspeople felt protected. Nolan thought the only thing they feared was the unknown, and if only they knew what was - No, he snapped himself out of it and threw himself back into the present.

Argo pushed open the doors to the The Black Bull with ease. Nolan didn't dare try – the doors were solid wood and twice the size of him, so he would sneak in whilst his brother held them open. As soon as they entered, the smell of stale beer filled the air as the town's warriors gathered to drink their weight in ale. Around each table were men with large frames and muscles to match, trying to outdo one another in both alcohol and strength. It was like a private club in which the warriors gathered, a club that Nolan knew he didn't belong in. It was frustrating as Nolan knew he would hold his own in a fight against any of the men, if only he could reveal himself. One day, he hoped.

'Argo, Nolan! Come over here!' shouted Perseus. The alcohol had flushed his cheeks and slurred his words, and a large grin was plastered to his face. Perseus had also failed to notice that his shirt had been buttoned up wrong – not exactly the image the captain of the warriors should present.

'Whose round is it?' said Perseus, but as he turned around, he noticed the other men who were sat at the table were all equally blurry eyed. One of them, Jack, had passed out on the table and was snoozing softly, and also drooling. Unsurprisingly, nobody eagerly offered to buy the round, yet it was not due to financial reasons, but more the thought of having to walk more than two yards in a straight line.

'I believe it is mine' said Argo. A cheer erupted from the men. Jack jolted up, confused at what was going on but raising his hand he cheered alongside the other men.

No hand was empty of a drink, and the men settled themselves ready to put the worlds to right.

'What are you drinking Nolan? Vodka?' said Jack, knowing it was not.

'Water' said Nolan.

'Water?!'

'That is why I said it'

'Are you a man or a mouse?'

'I doubt a mouse would be able to even hold a glass'

Insulted by his jab at his intelligence, Jack stood up and launched himself across the table but quickly, Argo pushed him back, protecting his brother. There was a reason Nolan did not drink. He needed to be control of his senses all of the time, as if he let his guard down even for a moment, the consequences could be worse than death itself

'Men !' Perseus shouted. His voice boomed through the tavern, causing a momentary silence in the tavern. He leaned in close to the group, 'we should not be drawing attention to ourselves, or making Nolan angry as we all know what happens'. The other men muttered between themselves. Nolan fidgeted in his seat, feeling like the square peg trying to fit into a round hole.

'I believe that the boy is dangerous.' said Jack.

Nolan looked down at the floor. He was no boy. Nolan was only 2 years younger than Argo, yet they all seemed to patronise him, he knew why – because he was not a warrior. It wasn't for lack of trying. He had spent the entire summer training and preparing himself for the Autumnal Trials. Once again, he had no success.

'Jack, we know he isn't. Nolan is trying to control himself, we need to keep the secret between us', Argo replied.

'Filthy magic, polluting our world' slurred Jack.

Argo narrowed his eyes at Jack, who, fuelled with alcohol, was refusing to back down.

'It is people like you who will be the ruin of this town'

'I am warning you, stop', said Argo.

'Filthy', he spat at Nolan.

That had pushed him over the edge. Nolan would show him what filthy magic could do. The light above them began to flicker and shake. Nolan held his hand tightly in a fist, his hands clenched in anger. A few of the other lights in the tavern began to shake, drawing the attention of the other people around them.

'Stop it now' said Jack.

Nolan felt his breathing deepen, as the brave warriors began to cower in fear.

'Nolan' said Argo.

The lights stopped moving, and thankfully the others in the tavern had put it down to one too many beers. The men were frozen in shock, their eyes focusing on Nolan and what his next move would be. Nolan stood up, making his way out of the tavern. As he walked away he hear the mutters of the men he had dared to call his 'friends'.

Nolan approached the large doors once again, and this time he didn't care. He muttered under his breath and the doors opened before him. Once outside, the cool winter air hit him hard, causing him to shiver and wrap his arms around himself. The doors opened once again, he didn't need to look to know who it was.

'What was that back there?' said Argo.

'They were annoying me', replied Nolan.

'Yes, but you need to be more careful. What would you have done if a watcher was in there?'

'I don't care anymore'

'Nolan, we're in this together – you need to be careful'

Nolan didn't turn to face his brother, instead he began to walk away.

'Where are you going?' called Argo.

'Somewhere, which is more than could be said for the people of this town'

Argo sighed, and went back into the tavern. It was a regular occurrence, these outbursts of Nolan's. It was hard for Argo to protect him when he was going to push everyone away, but still he tried because of the promises he had made their parents.

As he began the ascent into the mountains, he began to reply the events of the past hour. It was not his fault, he repeated to himself. It was the plague – this is what those who knew referred to it as. It was okay for the warrior to have strength, but for him to have strength of mind it became a disease.

The mountains were a place of peace for Nolan, where he could be himself. It was where he would come to secretly practice, he knew there would be no one around as everyone feared the unknown. There had been many myths created that told of the horrors that lived in the mountains, it was where the magical creatures sought refuge. Since he had been coming up here, Nolan had never seen a single soul. The snow was thick and if someone was to live here, they would not last long in the bitter winter.

'Kovish' he said. A ball of light appeared in his hands, and he used it to show him the way. The winter months meant the sun did not stay very long, and by early evening the town would be complete darkness.

A blue light shot down from the sky. Nolan lost his balance, and fell to the floor. He remained there for a few minutes, frozen with both fear and the cold. Nolan had never met another who was magic, nor had he ever wished to. This was mainly due to fear, and a lack of understanding about his own powers. He got up and was contemplating going back into town, when he heard a loud shriek coming roughly from where the light had shone down. There was someone or something on the mountain, and it did not sound pleased to be there.

Authors note:

I hope you are enjoying my story, i'm a total novice so I'm sorry for any errors :) Feel free to let me know what you think so far ! Best Wishes – HappyLola x


	3. Chapter 3: New Beginnings

Chapter 3: New Beginnings.

It had been almost an hour since Nolan had heard the scream from beyond the other side of the mountain. So far he had moved three metres - It had taken all his courage to move that far. However he knew he needed to find the source, he just wasn't quite sure how he was going to do it.

In the distance, he could hear footsteps approaching, so he slipped behind a large rock and began to mentally prepare himself for battle. Clenching his fists, and trying to remember what the book had taught him; the book, his pride and joy. It had been left to him in his parent's will – where and when they got it he was not sure – as he was not aware of either of them possessing any powers.

'Me in virtute habe me fortes', Nolan repeated to himself. He began to rub his hands together, starting to create a ball of light – ready to fire at the predator that was approaching. As he heard the footsteps approach the rock, he ran out and fire the ball of light towards the shadow. The shriek. It was almost identical to the previous. As he watch his prey fall to the floor he feared he had made a big mistake. There in front of him lay a girl, she remained motionless.

'Oh my, I've killed her !' Nolan shouted. 'I'm going to have to bury her and lie, I'm a murderer! I'm going to have to go on the run and I'll be -'

'You didn't hit me', a muffled voice from the snow.

'I didn't?'

'No, you could have killed me – you mad man ! Why did you throw a torch at me?!'

'A what?'

'A torch!'

Nolan blinked, expectantly. He had never heard of this torch.

'No, it was me.' Nolan began to make the light between his hands once again. The girl lifted her head from the snow, at the sight of the light between his hands she screamed and launched herself back in fear.

'You're going to kill me!' she shrieked.

'I'm not, I'm just magic.'

'Oh, you're just magic. Magic. Just. Just. Magic. Like that, just magic'

'Are you okay?'

'Oh, I'm great – you're just magic.'

Nolan stared at the girl. The people of Penwortham were aware of magic, even if they were scared. The famous battle that killed Arthur and Merlin had been repeated for centuries, so why did this woman seemed puzzled by the notion of magic.

'You're not from round here?' asked Nolan.

'I'm from Pinebridge.'

Pinebridge. How could she be from there? Nobody ever returned from Pinebridge.

'How is that possible?'

'I walked from the path – I was the first.'

The name Pinebridge projected fear into those with magic, as it was the place where they were sent never to return. Nolan had heard stories. It was illegal to murder those with magic, mainly as the queen had a fear of what magic was capable of. She had enlisted the only magical being she trusted, 'Igor', who decreed that all those who practice magic in the land should have their soul extracted, and their bodies sent to a place named 'Pinebridge'.

'You don't know what you are, do you?;

'I'm a girl?'

It couldn't be possible, how did she return? Nolan didn't know if he should trust her, and so he decided that he needed to talk to his brother.

'You need to come with me'

'A stranger?'

'Yes, trust me'

'Because you have magic?'

After much convincing and giving her some food, the girl decided to trust Nolan and obediently followed him back to Penwortham. She had no where else to go, and didn't quite understand the world in which she had walked into.

The cottage was silent when they arrived. Nolan told the girl to wait behind him until he checked the house for Argo. Argo was still awake, sat by the fire and had been unable to sleep due to the absence of his brother.

'Argo', called Nolan.

'What are you doing?' he asked. Nolan was stood at the door, not venturing into their house any further.

'I have a girl', said Nolan.

'Oh really? Do you want me to leave?' asked Argo.

'Not like that'

'You stole her? Did you kill her?' hushed Argo.

'He nearly did', called a voice from behind Nolan.

''I may have accidentally mistaken her for a monster or something...' said Nolan.

The girl stepped forward and into the house, she removed her coat and walked over the fire – beginning to warm herself up. The two boys exchanged looks.

'Well neither of you were going to invited me in, and I wasn't going to freeze out there!' she said.

Nolan repeated her move, taking off his own coat and walking by the fire. Argo look completely confused by the actions that had just occurred.

'I need a drink', he said as he got up and walked over the kitchen area.

The girl then sat on the chair he has just left, reclining and enjoying the relief form the cold.

The two boys congregated in the kitchen.

''She's from Pinebridge', whispered Nolan.

'What?' said Argo.

'She had no idea about magic, and has no idea where she is!'

'What do we do?'

'I have an idea, we could take her to camelot and ask for her soul back'

'Are you mad? We will all be killed'

It may have been illegal to kill those practicing magic, but it was not illegal to kill those who broke an entry into the castle.

'Are you two boys talking about little old me?' a voice called from near the fire.

They both walked over towards her, a multitude of questions swirling through their minds.

'What is your name?' said Argo.

'That's more like it, a bit of manners. I'm Anna – pleased to meet you' she said, putting out her hand.

'Hello Anna, this is Nolan and I'm Argo. Welcome to Penwortham'

'Pen-wo-ham' she replied.

'Penwortham' said Argo

'Pen-was-ham'

'Nevermind' said Argo.

'You're really tall', said Anna.

'You're really annoying', said Argo.

'Argo ! You can't be so rude to her', said Nolan.

Anna requested some food, and after some persuasion from Nolan, the boys returned to the kitchen.

'I do not like her', said Argo.

'You don't know her', he replied.

There was one thing that plagued the mind of both men. This girl was clearly magic – but was she aware of this? They knew that all of those who went to Pinebridge were of magical origin, but did they lose their powers when their memory was wiped?

'We can't tell her', said Argo.

'Why?'

'She might put a spell on us!'

'We need to tell her.'

'Not tonight!'

'True, she needs rest.'

'She needs help – mental help!'

The two boys glanced back towards Anna, who was fast sleep in the chair. Her mouth was wide open, and a loud snoring was coming from her ever few seconds. The two boys were intrigued by this strange girl that had entered into their lives, however they both felt in a way happy to have a break from their normal routine.

Author Note:

I enjoyed this chapter, as I think it brings the story together a bit more. I will work on it a bit more tomorrow, but I felt it needed to be uploaded in order to set out where the story is going a bit more. Best Wishes – HappyLola


	4. Chapter 4: Iron Warrior

Chapter 4: Iron Warrior

The morning light poured into the small cottage, Anna was still fast asleep in the chair. Argo and Nolan had been up since dawn, collecting wood for the fire and going about their morning routine. Every now and then Argo coughed loudly, in an attempt to wake up Anna. It did not work.

'We can't just leave her here?' said Argo, preparing his weapons for training.

As though she had overheard them, Anna began to slowly wake. She reached up, throwing her arms above her. Then she exaggerated a yawn. It had been the best sleep she had ever had, her whole body felt rested. However, in her morning haze Anna had forgotten all about the events of the previous day, as far as she was aware she was still at home. Slowly opening her eyes, she screamed as there were two men leaning over her.

'Who are you?' she said, scrambling from the chair.

The two men watched in amusement. Anna desperately ran around trying to find a weapon, settling on a large wooden spoon. As she held it out, striking a battle pose and aiming the spoon at the men, her memory of how they helped her slowly began to seep back.

'Oh, sorry. It's early, I'm not used to this', she said.

'Put the spoon down', chuckled Argo.

Anna took him seriously, and delicately placed the spoon on the floor.

'It's not that early Anna', said Nolan.

'7.03? Or is it 7.04?', she said.

'Try a few hours later, it is nearly midday', said Argo.

'I guess you needed the sleep', said Nolan.

Anna tried to explain about how time had been changing in her village. However, in Penwortham, there was no real concept of time. The town lived by the dawn and dusk, they could tell midday from the sun and did not use any exact numbers or time. Thus, they were baffled by Anna and her meaning of time, her words went in one ear and out another. It was as though was she speaking another language.

As they did each day, the men arrived at the warrior training area. They decided that Anna would have to come with her, warning Anna to stay quiet while she was there. It was clear they did not know Anna well.

'Who is the young filly?', asked Jack. As he looked towards her his eyes filled with lust, he licked his lips as though he was looking at a fillet stake.

'Ew, creep', said Anna.

The warriors had begun to gather around the group. It was rare for a girl to attend the training of warriors, or even to enter the ground. It was an unwritten rule that only men could enter. They were wearing their body armour, and a few held their helmets tightly under their arm. Their stance was quite threatening as their eyes looked towards a female who had invaded their camp.

'You lot look scary, what are you, the knights of the round table?', mocked Anna.

'Well yes, we hope that one day we shall progress', said Perseus.

Anna stared at them expectantly, she had meant it as a joke. The tone of his voice told her that he was not joking. As Anna began to engage in conversation with the warriors, asking too many question for their liking – Argo and Nolan took Jack and Perseus aside.

'Who is she?' asked Jack.

Nolan and Argo explained how Anna claimed to be from Pinebridge, and how she had been found in the mountains.

'She is like you?' Perseus asked Nolan.

'We presume so, but there is no way of knowing. She was scared of my magic', he replied.

'You performed magic ! She could find you out, then we will all be done for. What is she is a spy?' said Jack.

The men decided that they would say no more, after training they would regroup in the evening. Although none of the other warrior had noticed the small gathering, they were worried about anyone overhearing such a conversation. Especially when the warriors were meant to protect people from magic, not be involved with it.

As the training began, Nolan took Anna to the stands to watch. The men placed on their helmet and gathered their weapons, as they began to act out fits with one another.

'I could do that' said Anna. She put her hands up to Nolan, and pretending to throw an punch. Nolan flinched.

'They have spent years training, it is a real art', he said.

Anna did not look convinced.

'Why don't you join in?' she asked.

'I'm not a warrior'

A cold silence lingered between the two, they both were submerged in their own thoughts. Anna was trying to repress a feeling of guilt, as she wondered what her family would be doing. What about Noah? This had been something she had dreamed of her whole life. Escaping. However, now she had actually done it, she felt a sense of nostalgia for her old life.

'Anna, I need to tell you something', said Nolan.

'I'm dead? I knew it', she replied.

'No'

'What then?'

'I think you may have powers, like me'

Anna began to laugh, her voice was loud meaning a few of the warriors looked up towards them.

'What is so funny?' asked one.

'Nolan thinks that I have -'

'I think she has – the, I think she has the most beautiful eyes', he quickly replied.

The warriors began to laugh among themselves.

'You better watch out lass, with charm like that you will have no change' shouted Louis.

He was one of the eldest warrior, and had spent years trying to progress into knighthood. This comment sent the warrior into another round of laughter.

Anna was baffled as to why Nolan has stopped her from telling them what he had actually said. After watching his expressions, she decided that she should save her questions for later.

The training came to a conclusion, after what had felt like days for Anna. She had sat herself on the floor, mimicking a child having a tantrum. The men packed up their belongings, and bantered about one another's abilities.

'Argo, you need to work on your grip. I think my Mother is better than you', jested one of the men.

'Aye, but I bet your Mother can't do this', Argo replied. He launched himself forward and grabbed the culprit in a head lock, pushing him slowly to the group. The man reacted by trying to release himself, and hit back.

'Like a group of children', said Anna.

'Says you', muttered Nolan.

Once the majority of warrior has left the area, Nolan decided it was safe for them to go back down. They joined Argo who was preparing himself for duty, it was his turn to protect the front gates.

'Take her into town, she will need some new clothes', ordered Argo.

'I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were a fashion expert', said Anna. She looked down at her outfit. Anna had not contemplated practicality when leaving the house. It had seemed right to put on jeans, but her duffle coat did look a little worn out. Also, she did not quite fit in with the archaic clothes that her new friends appeared to be wearing.

'Unless you want to freeze to death, I suggest you do as I tell you', he said. 'I will meet you at the cottage once the takeover duty arrives.'

The walk into town was not pleasant, not because of the snow but the awkward conversation between Nolan and Anna. Each had many question they wanted to ask, but didn't dare to voice themselves.

'It is very snowy', said Anna.

'Yes, there is lots of... snow. So I guess that does make is very snowy', he replied.

Their conversation continued like this for the entire walk, with each speech it became even more tedious. They eventually reached the town. The market was set up. There were many people browsing for the best goods. As they walked past the food section, there were people handing out tasters. Anna went along, taking one from each plate offered.

'Thank you', she said with a mouth full of food.

Nolan took nothing, he politely shook his head at each person.

'That was delicious', said Anna. 'Can we walk back down there again?'

Nolan laughed, 'Maybe on the way back, but for now we need to get you some clothes'.

'I have no money, I picked up some pots and pans when I left though – we could sell them?'

'Argo has given me some, and I'm not sure that pots and pans will give us enough for a few winter outfits'

As the entered the shop, Anna was amazed by the thick coats and jumpers that were all around her. She thought about how flimsy her outfit now appeared, walking over to the hat section she began to select an array to try on.

'Nolan, Nolan look! I'm a queen!' she shouted, placing a large hat on her head.

A woman then appeared to the side of them, making both Nolan and Anna jump. The woman was tall and thin, with an air of aristocracy about her.

'May I help you', she asked.

'Yes, my friend here would like to buy an outfit for winter', said Nolan.

'Ah, I guess her current attire is not suitable', she looked Anna up and down.

'You cheeky b-'

'I think what she means is thank you for helping', said Nolan.

The woman left, and returned with a range of clothes. Anna felt like a child playing dress up, she loved the feeling of the soft fabric against her skin. She was sure that now she would not feel the cold ever again. After getting a number of items; from coats to dresses, Anna asked if she could remain in her new favourite outfit. A light blue dress, with a cloak to keep her extra warm. The woman agreed, on the condition she could dispose of Anna's previous 'hideous' attire.

'You need a hat', said Nolan as he admired the outfit.

'I do!'

Anna ran over to the hand stand once again, carefully lifting a beautiful white faux fur hat. She placed it on her head, pulling her brown plaited hair to the side. As the woman returned, Anna informed the her that they. would also take this. The woman silently nodded. Nolan was impressed by her confidence, and also a little jealous.

'A job well done !' she declared.

'I would have to agree', said Nolan.

'Can we walk back through the food? I think it's time for round 2', said Anna.


	5. Chapter 5: Adalwulf

Chapter 5: Adalwulf

Perseus poured himself another beer from the jug. He had felt in a daze for most of the day and needed to calm his nerves. It had been three years since he had heard the name Pinebridge utter aloud. It has also been three years since he began assisting the old man named Adalwulf, each week he would venture up into the mountains to give him the supplies that would help him survive.

It had been on a watch through the mountains when they had met. Perseus had come across a wounded wolf. Perseus had one weakness in life, his big heart. However, being a warrior meant that he had to hide it, his work required his body and his heart had to be made of steel. Perseus knew his morals were too strong, so he picked up the wolf and began searching for a cave to tend to him away from the wind.

It was lucky for the wolf that he had been on duty, as he carried a bag full of supplies. He took out some bandages and began to tend to his wounds, with no formal training he tried his best to stop the bleeding. The wolf's breathing slowed down considerably, as it did he noticed that the wolf was beginning to change form – into a man.

'A shifter', said Perseus.

Perseus moved towards the back of the cave, placing his hand over his sword. It had been declared by Camelot that all shifter were gone. It must be a test, thought Perseus. The man did not move, instead he moaned out in pain. Perseus decided he couldn't not leave the man to die, he needed to help him. Collecting his bag, he searched for some water. The man appeared to be quite old, he had an aged pale face with a white beard and hair. Perseus lifted his head, bringing the water flask to his lips, he poured some into the man's mouth.

'Thank you', said the man's frail voice.

Perseus sat beside him, removed his coat and placed it over the man. It was getting dark by the time he left, but he promised the Adalwulf he would return the following day.

Over the next few days, Perseus helped to nurse Adalwulf back to health, and by the fifth day he appeared to have gained a reasonable amount of strength.

'They found me out, I was being taken to Camelot - but I made my escape. They took my daughter and wife, I was going to find help but... it was too late', said Adalwulf. He placed his head in his hands, as the loss of his family weighed heavily on his heart.

'Pinebridge', said Perseus.

'I tried to find them, but the place they keep the souls is so heavily guarded'

The two men would chat for hours, it continued this way for years. Adalwulf would teach Perseus all he knew about the magical world and in return Perseus would bring him food and clothes. Perseus came to realise that Adalwulf meant him no harm. After he found out about Nolan, he would discuss with Adalwulf the trials faced by the magical world. Perseus wished he could do something, but Adalwulf told him that he had to wait for the right time.

'Adalwulf', called Perseus.

The cave was bitterly cold, offering little relief from the winter winds. Perseus knew he had to talk to him, so had decided to make a unexpected visit.

'Perseus. Perseus, my boy', said Adalwulf. He emergence from the shadows at the back of the cave, he was in wolf form. It was safer that way.

'I need to talk to you', said Perseus.

'What is wrong, please come – sit down by the fire'

The fire was weak, but it brought relief to Perseus' numb fingers.

'There has been another like you, but she claims to have come from Pinebridge'

'How is that possible?' said the old man.

'I thought you may have an explanation'

The old man pondered to himself for a moment, before returning to his human form. In his time, Adalwulf had been a very powerful wizard and shifter. It had been his job to answer the questions asked his village, his magic had warned him again the raid – but sadly they had little time to prepared. Since then, he had not used his magic for anything but shifting.

'Bring her to me, tomorrow before the sunrise', he replied.

Perseus nodded.

'I will try an incantation, I will try to help you. Perseus, this will be my chance to pay you back, I will gain strength tonight and I shall try to remember my powers. Oh, it shall be hard! But I want to help', said Adalwulf.

'I will obey Adalwulf, I will return before the sunrise with the girl'

Perseus rose, gathered his belongings and bid farewell to his friend. It was time for him to tell the others his plan, to reveal his alliance with Adalwulf. Perseus hoped that he could help. He trusted the old man – yet he feared what would be revealed about their fate

Authors note:

Ahh, I just keep writing and I can't stop. I hope you enjoying it :) Please feel free to leave me review, I would appreciate it greatly.


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